I find differences fascinating. In fact, I’m drawn to anything that is different from the status quo or the norm. I find it stimulating mentally, emotionally, physically even. Similarity puts me to me.

Thanks for stopping back by.

Or if you look at a Jaguar, do you notice it is different from a Mercedes? (my next car, I swear )

Because, the facts are, our minds are hard-wired to discriminate. And I use that word in the scientic, biological, psychological sense – not in a legal, racist sense.

We descriminate between stiumuli of all sorts and our mind will sort, categorize and evaluate based on those differences. So, THAT you notice color is not more indicative that you dislike black people than you would dislike a peony because you say it wasn’t a rose. you know?

I notice Asian people. I notice Indian people. I notice Hispanic people. Heck, I even notice men separate from women. That doesn’t make me sexist. I notice difference. it is the ‘jugement’ that we make about those differences that would render us racist, sexist or what have you.

I don’t think it’s humanly possible to not notice black over white or white over black. But, it certainly doesn’t make you racist.

Hope you are well. Haven’t been to your blog lately. Glad to see you throwing out those thought-provoking questions.

you can get back to world peace next post.

One of the many things that I do believe in is that we are all one. We are all brothers and sisters. I have never understood why people focus so much on the so called “differences” and make judgments accordingly.

As someone whose skin color is a bit brown, I have had my share of racism done to me. When I was a kid, my family was the first ethnic family in the neighborhood and I was made fun of daily. It was very painful and with time, I realized that they just did not know better. As more ethnic families moved in, people became more tolerant.

I also realized that behind the differences in appearance, we all have the same blood, organs and so on. Actually, the human DNA is 99.9 the same for all of us. Only one tenth of a percent is different. Humans focus on that one-tenth difference and ignore the rest.

Just like Finola said, a lot of the discrimination we see is due to ignorance and fear. I also agree with Walter that eventually people will realize that we are all one.

“Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes – ”

(full lyrics http://tinyurl.com/ygta3b2 )

It’s not that you shouldn’t see colour, but it’s the reaction it causes in you, and what you see in it. People are different colours, sizes, cultures, religions; I try to think of this diversity as something akin to biodiversity – it’s what makes the world whole.

Unfortunately so many people don’t see that and feel that in order to be whole, their way must be right and others wrong. Much of the time it’s born of ignorance and fear, and talking about it like this, or taking the first step and saying ‘Hi’ like you, is the only way we’ll pick down that wall.

Thanks for stopping and taking the time to comment.